Based in Sydney, Australia, Foundry is a blog by Rebecca Thao. Her posts explore modern architecture through photos and quotes by influential architects, engineers, and artists.

Apr 26 Leviticus Chapter 10

Omniscient – You know everything. You know what Moses will say and what Aaron will say. You know Nadab’s and Abihu’s heart and what they will do. You know how Aaron is feeling. You know when you are being treated as holy and when You are honored. You know Mishael and Elzaphan will try to do what You command and Moses will command. You know what Moses will say to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar. You know what to say to Aaron and how to keep them from sinning against you. You know who loves You and who does not. You know Your wrath and Your hate and Your jealousy. You know the future and what will happen. You know my heart. You know everything. You are all-knowing.

Omnipotent- You can do anything. You consume Nadab and Abihu in an instant. You replace them with Mishael and Elzaphan. You have them burn up the goat of the sin offering completely – why? You keep Aaron and his sons from sinning against you. You put the fear of You into their hearts. You made an example out of Nadab and Abihu. You put it into their hearts and made them who they were. You are all-powerful.

Omnipresent – You are everywhere. You are in the mist of Israel. You are in their hearts. You see in the holy of holies, in the tabernacle. You are here with me. You are in my heart. You are all-present.

Eternal – You are the cause of time. You are the cause of generations. You are this very day, 3,000 years ago. You are this very day now. You are time.

Immutable – You do not change. Aaron will keep silent. You had Nadab and Abihu carried away to outside the camp? Do what You command that You will not die and You may not become wrathful against all the congregation. Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar did according to the WORD of Moses. Do not drink wine or strong drink when they I come in the sanctuary that I may not die. Make a distinction between holy and the profane, and between the clean and the unclean. Teach the sons of Israel all the statutes, which You have spoken to us through Moses. The wave offering will be a thing perpetually due Aaron and his sons with him, just as You have commanded Moses was angry with Aaron’s surviving sons Eleazar and Ithamar. You will never be made to change.

Self – Existent – You exist by Yourself. You do not deed any of Your creation in order to exist. You make up Israel’s existence. You make up Moses’ existence. You make up Aaron and his sons’ existences. You choose. You decide. You make up my existence. You choose it. You decide. You make them and me to exist.

Self-Sufficient – You do not need any of Your creation to bring about Your will or Your purpose. You choose to use Nadab and Abihu, Moses and Aaron, Eleazar and Ithamar because it is Your good pleasure, not Your need, that governs Your choice.

Infinite – There are no limits or bounds to Your person or dominion. You are perpetual and forever and ever.

Transcendent – You are apart from Your creation. You teach Israel and me about You. Nadab and Abihu were disobedient. You had not commanded them. They died before You. Did Nadab and Abihu hate You? Did You have them? You showed Israel and me Your wrath. You got angry and wrathful. Israel and Aaron had his surviving sons feared You, the fear of dying. What is different about Eleazar and Ithamar from Nadab and Abihu? You spoke to Aaron. Why eat Your offering? How does a person know when to eat it? Eat the grain offering, eat the wave offering, the breast and the thigh. Yet, did You keep them from sinning? You knew Aaron’s heart. Was Aaron angry with You? Hurt by You? Fear of You that he will also be killed? Does Aaron and his sons love You? On the other hand, are they doing just what they have to do?

Sovereign – You burn up Nadab and Abihu before You. In an instance, You consume them. You have Moses explain. Those who come near You You will be treated as holy, and before all the people, You will be honored. It is You Israel, Aaron, and his sons worship. You make the choice. You know the difference. You are in complete control and You are doing Your foreknown plan!

Holy – You are a morally excellent, perfect being. You sanctify Israel to treat You as holy. You will be treated as holy and You will be honored.

Gracious – You speak to Aaron and give him instruction. You show him Your favor.

Merciful – You show compassion on Aaron by not burning up Eleazar and Ithamar.

Longsuffering –You do not kill Eleazar or Ithamar for not eating Your offering. You are patient with them.

Righteous – You are always right. You teach Aaron and his sons Your right ways.

Just – You punish the guilty and reward the righteous. Nadab and Abihu were guilty.

Loving – You love all of Your creation. How can You hate when Your reveal so much of Yourself?

Good – You teach Aaron and his surviving sons fear of You and Your statutes.

Wise – You teach the fear of You which is the beginning of wisdom.

Truthful – You always speak the truth. Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you may not die – it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations – and so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean. It is reality.

Faithful – You always do what You promise. Israel is Your possession and You are their God, just as You promised Abraham.

Wrathful – You consumed Nadab and Abihu for offering strange fire before You, which You had not commanded them.

Jealous – You will not share Aaron and his sons, Your creation, with any other creature. Aaron and his sons are rightly Yours.

Incomprehensible – I should not offer a burning candle or strange fragrant incense or a burnt offering or a grain offering, or a burnt offering of my prayers and studying to You. All of that is strange fire and profane. It is not in Your Word, it is only in my heart.

My prayers and thanksgivings and psalms that are a soothing aroma to You and accepted before You. My LORD, I do not know what I am doing. How do I know the difference? My studying is not an acceptable sacrifice, but it is of very high worth to me. It is all that I have. I fear that all of my studying is in vain. What am I searching for? If ear that the more I study the more I am losing faith. Maybe I never had any faith. My heart condition is not right. I fear I blasphemy against You.

I hate too. So how do I love my enemies? How do I know who are my enemies? I am so stupid. I am so human. I am stiff-necked and obstinate and I lack faith. I am profane and unclean. I am a woman, not even Your creation.

In verses 1 and 2, You made an example out of Nadab and Abihu. You saw their heart. You knew they did not care. Aaron and his sons are human and are not perfect. You will be treated as holy, and before all the people You will be honored. You will destroy all who do not – NO EXCUSES.

In verse 4 would not Uzziel be Moses’ uncle as well? Is Mishael and Elzaphan what You commanded? In verse 8, You speak to Aaron which has not happened since he was in Egypt more than a year ago. Why do you speak to him now? Was his sons drinking wine or strong drink? Is that why Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire? Is that why they did not care, why that was in their heart?

Why do the sons of Aaron have to bear the guilt for everyone else? How do Aaron and his sons know when to eat the offering and when to burn the offering? In verse 19, Aaron must be afraid of You. He must be afraid of doing the wrong thing and being burned alive. Aaron even says “when things like these happen to me, if I had eaten a sin offering today, would it have been good in the sight of the LORD?” Was it the same day that his sons were burned up? Aaron would not have valued the sin offering or meant it.